Feb 26 – As twilight descends upon the 15th day of the Chinese New Year, the maiden full moon of the Year of the Dragon rises in the sky, commencing a new lunar cycle. The Chinese Lantern Festival, also known as Yuan Xiao Jie, marks the end of Chinese New Year celebrations and symbolizes the coming of spring.
Lantern Festival celebrations have grown increasingly elaborate, going all out with flashy lights, epic fireworks displays, buzzing night markets, top-tier entertainment and games that will challenge your wits, such as solving riddles written on lanterns to win prizes, all proliferating through the ages.
The highly anticipated 2024 Lantern Festival Gala, hosted by China Media Group (CMG), displayed its brilliance on Saturday, illuminating the audience with a captivating blend of traditional Chinese culture and cutting-edge technical innovations.
This year’s gala showcased a diverse array of performances encompassing music, dance, comedy, opera and acrobatics, inviting a global audience to revel in the enchantment of sparkling lanterns, engage in the tradition of guessing lantern riddles and actively participate in the jubilant celebrations.
Thirteen charismatic hosts from both the main venue and sub-venues in prominent cities like Shenyang, the capital of northeast China’s Liaoning Province, Changsha in central China’s Hunan Province, Xi’an in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province and Kashgar in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region graced the stage of the Lantern Festival Gala. With their lively presence, they seamlessly connected the event with intriguing riddles, spreading sweet blessings of harmony and beauty to the captivated audience.
One of the 2024 Lantern Festival Gala’s most eye-catching performances was the creative composite program “Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon.” Combining Cantonese opera, instrumental music, ballet and other disciplines into a delicate dance under the moonlight, it presented an innovative interpretation of “colored clouds caressing the evening breeze” with an extended meaning.
A combination of such elements rejuvenates traditional Chinese culture, adding new charm and injecting a new impetus into folk history and culture.
First broadcast in 1985, the Lantern Festival Gala has accompanied the Chinese people on the special occasion of family reunions ever since.
In a testament to its popularity and cultural significance, the gala was aired on multiple TV channels, radio stations and new media platforms, ensuring that its radiant splendor reached every corner of the nation and beyond. As the lanterns dimmed and the festival concluded, the 2024 Lantern Festival Gala added another luminous chapter to the rich legacy of this time-honored tradition.
